Aliyev complained about the European observation mission and promised to raise this issue in his contacts with the EU

"The European Union, as before, should maintain neutrality in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict settlement process. At one time, the EU was not active in this matter, arguing that the OSCE Minsk Group was dealing with it, and that the European Union was not directly related to this process. Now, however, the European Union is actively involved in the discussion, but, unfortunately, some representatives of Brussels show a biased approach. This is an ineffective position that breeds mistrust and distances the EU from the settlement process", - said the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, accepting the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to Azerbaijan, Julien de Frepon.

The head of the country also noted that in order to continue the cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan, "it is important to avoid the path of France and not fall under its influence". According to Aliyev, France's policy regarding the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations was and remains "deconstructive".

Aliyev emphasized that one of the factors causing mistrust in the relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union is the extension of the mandate of the European observation mission on the border without agreement or consultation with Azerbaijan. He wondered: what is the need for that? In October 2022, Azerbaijan agreed to the temporary presence of a mission consisting of a limited number of retired officers for a period of two months in Prague. However, when the mission was extended, Azerbaijan was not notified or consulted. Currently, negotiations are being held to extend the mission for an additional period.

He also expressed displeasure with the behavior of the members of the mission, describing it as "telescopic diplomacy" outside the norms of political culture. He emphasized that Azerbaijan intends to raise this issue in its contacts with the European Union.